Celebrity Solstice, a luxury Malta-flagged cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises. — Photo: sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — Celebrity Solstice, a luxury Malta-flagged cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises, with nearly 2,850 international passengers on board arrived at Thị Vải General Port in Phú Mỹ ward, HCM City, on December 4.

After docking, visitors began their excursions to popular destinations in HCM City and nearby Đồng Tháp Province.

According to the Saigontourist travel service company, about 75 per cent of the 1,400 passengers disembarking chose tours in HCM City.

Among the most popular options are visits to traditional craft villages and the Củ Chi Tunnels, as well as tours in Vũng Tàu and Bà Rịa wards featuring attractions such as Bạch Dinh and Bãi Trước.

Built by Germany’s leading shipbuilder Meyer Werft at a cost of US$750 million, Celebrity Solstice is one of the world’s most modern and luxurious cruise ships.

Launched in 2008, the vessel, with a capacity of 2,850 passengers and a gross tonnage of 122,000 tonnes, measures 317.2 metres in length, 36.8 metres in width and 15 decks high, three times the size of a football field. It offers high-end facilities including a 1,000-seat theatre, an outdoor lawn area, fitness centre, sauna, indoor pool and hot tubs.

HCM City is one of several stops on the ship’s regional itinerary, which departs from Singapore and includes Thailand before visiting Thị Vải Port, Chân Mây Port (Huế City) and Hạ Long Bay (Quảng Ninh province) of Việt Nam before concluding in Hong Kong.

In 2025, Celebrity Solstice has repeatedly brought international visitors to Việt Nam. The ship was also the first international cruise to dock in HCM City immediately after Tết (Lunar New Year) Festival 2025 and most recently visited the port in mid-November. — VNA/VNS